Biomarker indicators of bacterial activity and organic fluxes during end Triassic mass extinction event

Lipid biomarker analyses of sedimentary organic matter from a marine Triassic-Jurassic (T-J) section at Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia reveal significant bacterial activity and microbial community changes that coincide with faunal extinctions across the T-J boundary. Bacterial activity is indicated by the 25-norhopane biodegradation index (25-norhopanes / 25-norhopanes+regular hopanes). Microbial community changes is revealed by variations in relative abundance of 2-methylhopane which is mainly generated from cyanobacteria. The 2-methylhopane index (2-methyl hopane/ C30 hopane + C29 25-norhopane) increases above the radiolarian based T-J boundary, and coincides with changes in the 25-norhopane index. The data reveal a complex microbial event involving both autotrophic and heteorotrophic bacteria responding to variations in allochthonous organic matter and nutrient supply.